As we start off this Sunday School year we are trying to be better as a church at supporting the Faith Development of children at home. As a parent myself, I know how difficult that can be with everything that demands our attention in the modern world. The frenetic pace with which life occurs with sports, family activities, and school is astounding and that is without even mentioning that in most modern families both parents work at least one job. This rhythm of life can be very difficult to get in sync with what you want to do as a family because of the pressures that these schedules can put upon you.

As we begin this journey together it is my hope that family worship can become a short time during the course of your week where the pace of life slows down and the message of the gospel can strengthen you as a family. In order to help you get started off on a good foot I would like to offer a few tips.

Remember that children love rituals. You have probably noticed this in your family, but anytime you do something two times, children see it as a new tradition that we just "have" to do. Whether it is super nachos on Tuesday while you watch a movie or something you do every night before going to bed, kids love repetition. As you begin this new adventure as a family do not forget this. Try to do something the same way every time. Perhaps you will have your new tradition be on Tuesdays, Thursday, and Saturdays and you will do it at the table after supper. Maybe in your house, bed times are a bit chaotic and having a time of 5-10 minutes of family worship would help settle things down. Find a time and create a new tradition. While it is new now, it will not take long for your family to settle in and start a new family tradition.

Keep it simple and keep it short. One thing that I really struggle with when it comes to family worship is what to do. I feel like we should have this really long and in depth teaching time about the Bible but I have realized that approach is really not as effective as regular simple practices that teach the faith. You don't need to have complex prayers or deep theological content. Use questions from the Children's Catechism. Recite the Apostle's Creed. Read a Psalm every day that really resonates with your family. Say the Lord's Prayer. Sing the doxology. These are all things that are easy to access and not only teach your children the Christian faith, but they also help integrate them more deeply into our weekly worship services.When I say "keep it short" I don't mean one or two minutes but ideally less than 10 minutes. Obviously if the discussion is really good you may end up going over that time, but don't think it has to be a marathon every day. You are training your children for a lifetime of faith. Start off small and slow and let it grow as you mature in faith together.

Don't beat yourself up. Where I have struggled the most in doing family worship is getting out of the habit. I feel as though because I am not disciplined enough to do it every day there just is not any point in doing it at all. Obviously this is ridiculous, but I let my failure get the best of me. Instead of focusing on failure and how many times you missed family worship last week, celebrate how many times you did have family worship last week. Even one or two times a week is a major opportunity for you to transmit the Christian faith to your child.

Be confident. I have heard from so many people that they want to do something like this with their family but they are nervous praying or reading the Bible because they do not know the answers to all the questions. I have spent a lot of money on religious education and I still often have to tell people "I don't know but I'll try to find out for you". It is good to be honest and say "I don't know". If you are nervous about praying, find a good prayer book to use as a resource and read the prayers. If all else fails say the Lord's Prayer. We are also working to provide concise resources that help to answer some of the biggest questions about the Christian faith you may have. Also, we will have "Ask the Pastor" videos available online as a way to answer questions people may have. Step forward to do family worship in confidence, knowing that the Holy Spirit will support you and your church will also be there to help you along your journey.

Family worship is a blessing because it does some very important things. Most importantly, it trains us in the Christian faith but that is not it's only value. It also lets us stop and get out of the rhythm of the world and lets us center our lives on what God has done for us in Christ. Taking a few minutes and hearing a different story can shape us and help us to be conformed to the likeness of Christ. Lastly, it makes family a priority. It is so easy to be constantly going in different directions but in family worship we all stop and move in the same direction, toward Christ. It is my prayer that you will be blessed and grow in your faith as we embark on this journey together.